Happy Canada Day! – 1979 Alfa Romeo Alfetta Sedan

Just in time for the last couple of hours of Canada Day, we have a car in Canada that won’t be much of a surprise to frequent readers. However, most practical Alfa Romeos (if there is such a thing) in the snowbelt haven’t survived 35 winters unscathed, which is why it’s a surprise when you find one up there. Of course, thanks to the internet, cars move around a lot more, but usually those are the more popular models like convertibles and coupes. Hopefully someone else in Ontario will be thrilled to find a rare bit of North American Alfa Romeo history – check out this 1979 Alfa Romeo Alfetta Sedan for sale for $3500 in Keswick, ON.

Color and wheels can really make a car, and for this one, the maroon/chestnut paint and optional Campagnolo wheels really do the trick. There’s something quite BMW-ish about this series of Alfetta sedan, and this wasn’t Alfa’s first or last battle with the boys in blue & white. Unfortunately, they lost this round to just about everyone except maybe the French, but the cars that remain are still a great choice as a usable occasional driver. But no big deal, they’ll definitely get BMW with the new Giulia, right? Hello? Anyone?

The car looks like it’s in good original condition, said to have little rust, most of it of the surface variety, and evidence of a single repaint – sounds typical of what you’d find in any driver-quality car. The worst cosmetic issue is said to be the bumpers, which are severely split, so this is probably a good time to start searching ebay.it for “paraurti Alfetta” – the bumperless look just makes this car look blocky, and NA-market bumpers in good condition are heavy and hard to find.

Even the interior looks in good shape – check out the intact horn buttons, good dash, and split-free driver’s seat (though the fronts could have been swapped as the passenger seat seams have separated). Everything’s so good on the interior, you’re just about obligated to let the klassy faux walnut dash stay with the car. Several of these cars returned unsold to Italy and were sold as the Alfetta 2000 America, complete with SPICA fuel injection and diving board bumpers, as a sort of top-spec luxury model.

Look, it’s the same engine you’ll find under the hood of any Alfa sold in most of the second half of the 20th century! This one has carbs, but a smog-spec exhaust with air rail, and is said to have all-new clutch hydraulics. The second-gear synchro is weak, and the inner tie rod ends are loose, and pictures suggest the tires might be a little dry. It’s said to pull strongly and burn no oil or anti-freeze, so what are you waiting for? Fly out to Ontario, celebrate Canada Day belatedly by taking the Trans-Canada highway to your longitude, and then navigate north or south to get the car home!

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5 Responses to “Happy Canada Day! – 1979 Alfa Romeo Alfetta Sedan”

This is a 1.8l engine which is not the same engine under the 105/115 cars. However it is shared with the 116 Alfetta GT. The 116 sedan has been shunned upon but with the prices of the earlier AR 4 door cars climbing ever so higher, these are beginning to firm up as well. I guess it’s that old saying abouth the rising tide… If this is no rust, then it’s a worthwhile acquisition. Just to put it into perspective, a Berlina complete but not running will set you back about $5k, you can almost double that for a Giulia. All of a sudden this 116 Sport Sedan is beginning to make a lot of sense….

And after this, Milanos and 164s are next in line? I guess that’s still a ways off, hopefully it happens before they all disappear. Looks like the days of the non-computerized cheap Alfa are finally disappearing. Where are you getting that it’s a 1.8? Seller says it’s a 2000, and it looks like a North American car…

Wow, great to see this car on to its new owner! If you have any updates, I’d love to see them and would be happy to post here. And if you haven’t already, check out the Alfetta forum at http://www.alfabb.com.